SHOOTING DEER OUT OF SEASON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 11 September 1908, Page 2

SHOOTING DEER OUT OF SEASON.

PROSECUTION OF OFFENDERS. TAPAWERA AND TADMOR RESIDENTS FINED. A WARNING TO POACHERS. i At the Magistrate's Court this ' morning five residents of Tadmor and ' Motupiko, against whom seven in- ! formations for shooting deer out of season were laid, were before Mr H. Eyre-Kenny, S.M. The Jjrounds of the information were breaches of the Regulations of 1908 [in unlawfully taking and killing deer during tho close season, and of being unlawfully in possession of deer during the closo season. , On the first case — against R. Reay — being called on, but before the . charge was read, Mr A. T. Maginnity intimated that [ he appeared for the police and on bej half of the Acclimatisation Society. He said that there were seven infor- \ mations against fivo defendants. The , defendants' solicitor notified that they t would plead guilty, and thus wit--3 nesses' expenses had been saved. The ] informations were laid uuder the 3 Regulations of 1908, and a maximum penalty only (of £20) was provided. Mr Hayes, who appeared for the defendants, said that the charges would be admitted. It was a first i offence for all of the defendants — t two of them had never before been - out deer-shooting. Only one deer - was killed; but no point would be raised as to who shot it. Settlers . had heard shots; but no one saw the ? deer shot. There had been no similar i case before Mr Kenny during his pre--1 sent term of office at Nelson, and ; therefore there had been no warning, and he would ask the Magistrate to . take that into consideration. Some 1 of the defendants were farmers, and it was known that deer did somo in--9 jury to farmers. The party were out pig-shooting; but a deer came along, , and the temptation to shoot it was . yielded t.o. R. Reay, R. Drummond, Hubert Biggs, Arthur Steer, and Archibald f Hopgood were each charged with un- ( lawfully taking and killing deer at r Tapawera on August Ist last. Reay ; and Drummond were also charged > with being unlawfully in possession of 3 deer on August 3rd. All the defent dants (who reside either at Tapawera i or Tadmor) pleaded guilty. The Magistrate said that he would deal very leniently with the defen- . dants; but he thought some difference should be made in the case of the one who killed the deer. Mr Maginnity continued to address the Court (having been interrupted to enable the defendants to plead). He said that there was a great deal of poaching in tho back districts, and the Acclimatisation Societv had much difficulty in protecting imported game in a widely scattered district. The Society was most anxious that the Court should show in a substantial manner that it was determined to put . down the practice of poaching, and n the only way to do this was by taking serious notice of the offence so that , there should be a caution and warne ing to others. The Court would rer cognise the Society's difficulty in guarding such a largo district; and young fellows knew of the Society's difficulty, and took advantage of it. Mr Maginnity did not ask tho Court to deal harshly with the defendants, as they had owned up. But the offence was one that must be met at any rate with some penalty, and „ poachers should be strongly warned ■ _ that the offence would be put down. I, Mr Hayes said that the Court could i- be lenient with tho defendants, arid" still issue a warning. Reay had just e told him that it was he who had shot s tho deer. It was tho first time he had seen a deer. , In reply to a question, the Magistrate was informed that the party had . no Government arms with them when _ thev were out shooting, e The Magistrate, in giving judgi ment, said that tho defendants had owned up in a manly way. They - were all respectable, and he thought 3 their act had beeu the result of thoughtlessness more thau anything else. But the next person who came before him would b.c treated in a very ,_ different manner. After this no r quarter would bo given by him. Reay was fined 10s; and Drumo mond, Biggs, Steer, and Hopgood 5s each. Tho costs amounted to £1 3s t 9d in two cases, and to £1 3s Sd in - the remainder. Reay and Drummond were convicted and ordered to como up for sentence wheu called upon on the charge of beiug unlawfully in ' possession of deer.